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Post-Grad Clerkships - Calling to see if still taking apps?

Posted: Mon Mar 12, 2012 6:53 pm
by Anonymous User
I was wondering if anyone had any success cold-calling chambers and asking if judges are still taking packets at this point for post-grad clerks. I've had a few alumni suggest this as a strategy after I send out about 30 packets the other day and received rejection letters (claiming because they use a career clerk/already hired a clerk) for almost all 30 within with a week.

I'd just like to know if this is has worked for anyone, or if I should expect clerks to be irritated fielding these calls.

Re: Post-Grad Clerkships - Calling to see if still taking apps?

Posted: Mon Mar 12, 2012 7:48 pm
by Anonymous User
Anonymous User wrote:I was wondering if anyone had any success cold-calling chambers and asking if judges are still taking packets at this point for post-grad clerks. I've had a few alumni suggest this as a strategy after I send out about 30 packets the other day and received rejection letters (claiming because they use a career clerk/already hired a clerk) for almost all 30 within with a week.

I'd just like to know if this is has worked for anyone, or if I should expect clerks to be irritated fielding these calls.
Sorry about the 0/30. I'm a to-be clerk, and while I don't have first-hand info for you, I'll give you my instinct (which might be worthless):

Don't call. It seems highly intrusive. They're busy people doing important work. Answering a live phone to give you what should from their perspective be public information seems unusually demanding - given that they don't even know who you are, what your credentials are, etc. I would just wait it out on OSCAR and see if someone posts something new, then apply, and ask your PROFESSOR to call.

If a judge truly is accepting applications, they know what to do, i.e. post it on OSCAR. And if your concern regards judges who don't use OSCAR, then just send something in the mail. I just don't see the upside of demanding their undivided telephone attention to a total stranger who could well be bottom 10% at Cooley (and I'm sure you're not, I'm just using an extreme example to make my point).

Re: Post-Grad Clerkships - Calling to see if still taking apps?

Posted: Mon Mar 12, 2012 7:50 pm
by Anonymous User
Anonymous User wrote:I was wondering if anyone had any success cold-calling chambers and asking if judges are still taking packets at this point for post-grad clerks. I've had a few alumni suggest this as a strategy after I send out about 30 packets the other day and received rejection letters (claiming because they use a career clerk/already hired a clerk) for almost all 30 within with a week.

I'd just like to know if this is has worked for anyone, or if I should expect clerks to be irritated fielding these calls.
I'm the to-be-clerk from above. The clerks wouldn't be fielding calls. It'd be a generally (perpetually) irritable judicial assistant.